Catcher mechanism for the spreading of quilting material

ABSTRACT

A catcher mechanism to be used in cooperation with a cloth spreading machine, particularly for the spreading of quilting material. The catcher mechanism supports an upper catcher bar, adapted to be automatically raised by cooperation with the spreading machine, for resting upon the top of the end portions of the spread layers of material. A lower catcher bar is also supported on the catcher mechanism below the upper catcher bar and is provided with windlass means for raising the lower catcher bar to hold up the crushed end portions of the layers of quilting material.

United States Patent [191 [111 3,738,640 Frederick June 12, 1973 [54] CATCHER MECHANISM FOR THE 1,333,459 3/1920 Soylian 270/31 SPREADING OF QUILTING MATERIAL [75] Inventor: Cecil S. Frederick, Nashville, Tenn. [731 Assignee: Cutters Machine Company, Inc.,

' Nashville, Tenn.

22 Filed: Jan. 20, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 107,896

[52] U.S. Cl. 270/31, 270/79 [51] Int. Cl B65h 29/46 [58] Field of Search 270/30, 31, 39, 40,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,423,083 1/1969 Sherrill ..L 270/30 X 1,998,377 4/1935 MacKenzie.

2,175,823 10/1939 Breth 270/31 2,795,416 6/1957 Bax 270/31 Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell Assistant Examiner-L. R. Oremland Attorney-Harrington A. Lackey 57 ABSTRACT A catcher mechanism to be used in cooperation with a cloth spreading machine, particularly for the spreading of quilting material. The catcher mechanism supports an upper catcher bar, adapted to be automatically raised by cooperation with the spreading machine, for resting upon the top of the end portions of the spread layers of material. A lower catcher bar is also sup ported on the catcher mechanism below the upper catcher bar and is provided with Windlass means for raising the lower catcher bar to hold up the crushedv end portions of the layers of quilting material.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to cloth spreading, and more particularly to a catcher mechanism especially adapted for the spreading of quilting materials, or the like.

It is well-known in the art of cloth spreading to employ a single catcher bar reciprocably mounted upon a standard for gradual elevation when operatively engaged by a reciprocably moving cloth spreading machine. As the cloth spreading machine carries the folded end of the cloth toward the standard, cam or other operative means upon the spreading machine engages corresponding mechanism on the catcher to elevate the catcher bar, insert the folded end of the cloth beneath the catcher bar, and then permits the catcher bar to drop upon the cloth to hold it in a spread position. Many such cloth spreading machines are provided with mechanism for automatically elevating the spreading mechanism to correspond with the number of layers spread. As long as the cloth material is substantially dimensionally stable and resistant to crushing, the catcher bar will be held in an elevated position by the cloth layers for cooperation with the spreader mechanism of the spreading machine.

However, when the cloth material is of a quiltingtype, or of any type which crushes easily, the quilting material will not hold the catcher bar in an elevated position high enough to cooperate with the spreader mechanism. In order to overcome this problem, 2 X 4 timbers and other types of solid materials have been inserted beneath the layers of the folded ends of quilting material to hold the layers of cloth and the catcher bar high enough to cooperate with the spreader mechanism.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of this invention to overcome the above problem by providing a catcher mechanism especially adapted for holding up the folded ends of the layers of quilting-type material in order to maintain the catcher bar high enough to cooperate with the spreader mechanism of the cloth spreading machine.

The catcher mechanism made in accordance with this invention includes a conventional catcher standard for support upon one, or each, end of a cutting table. An upper or conventional catcher bar is mounted on the standard for vertical reciprocable movement and provided with cam means for cooperation with the cam means on the spreader mechanism of a typical cloth spreading machine. The upper catcher bar functions in the same manner as the conventional catcher bar.

A lower catcher bar is mounted on the same standard below the upper catcher bar for vertical reciprocal movement. Manually operated means raise the lower catcher bar to engage the bottom of the layers of quilting material and to raise all the layers, along with the upper catcher bar, until the upper catcher bar occupies the desired elevated operative position. One preferred means of controlling the vertical movement of the lower catcher bar is a Windlass having a shaft rotatably mounted on the standard, and a cable wound around and connecting the shaft to the lower catcher bar.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of the proximate end portion of a catcher mechanism made in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of the catcher mechanism disclosed in. FIG. 1, with the upper and lower catcher bars in an elevated operative position, and also disclosing a portion of the cloth spreading machine;

FIG. 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a remote end elevation. of the catcher mechanism and a portion of the cloth spreading machine, with the upper and lower catcher bars in lower operative positions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in more detail, FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 disclose a cloth spreading machine 10 carrying a spreader mechanism 11 and mounted on wheels 12 for rolling movement longitudinally and reciprocably over a cutting table 13 for spreading a web of sheet material, such as the quilting-type cloth material 15, to form a stack of cloth layers 16. The cloth spreading machine 10 is essentially the same as that disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,400,927 of T. W. Martin Sr., et a]: issued Sept. 10, 1968, for Cloth Spreading Machine.

The catcher mechanism 20 made in accordance with this invention includes a pair of standards 21 supported in upright position on opposite sides of the table 13, and fixed in position, by means such as brackets 22.

Each standard 21 is provided with a pair of vertical tracks 23 and 24. Riding in each track 23 are a pair of roller bearings 25 supporting catcher arms 26 fixed to the opposite ends of an upper catcher bar 27. The upper catcher bar 27 is provided with cams 28 for operative engagement with cam followers 29 on the spreader mechanism 11. The catcher mechanism 20 thus far described is quite similar to that disclosed in the above Martin US. Pat. No. 3,400,927.

In order to stabilize the horizontal position of the upper catcher bar 27 during its vertical travel, a transverse shaft 30 may be journaled through the opposed catcher arms 26 and provided on the ends thereof with sprockets 31 for engaging racks 32 on the front face of each standard 21. The racks 32 are disclosed in the drawings as sprocket chains fixed in an upright position.

Riding in the vertical tracks 24 are roller bearings 34 journaled in blocks 35 which are fixed to lower catcher arms 36 fixed to the opposite ends of the lower catcher bar 37. The lower catcher bar 37 is free to reciprocate vertically between the top of the table 13 and the upper catcher bar 27. Preferably, the lower catcher bar 37 is located substantially vertically below the upper catcher bar 27 so that both catcher bars 27 and 37 may cooperate more effectively to squeeze and support the folded ends of the spread quilting fabric 16.

Mounted on the standards 21 is a Windlass 40 including a transverse shaft 41 journaled. in the upper end portions of the opposed tracks 24. Fixed at one end by fastener 42 to the shaft 41 is a flexible linear member, such as cable 43, adapted to be wound about the shaft 41. The opposite end of the cable 43 comprises a loop attachment 44 for connection to a hook 45 fixed to each bearing block 35. Any convenient type of handle, such as the hand grip 46 may be fixed to the shaft 41 so that the shaft 41 may be manually rotated in order to wind and unwind the cable 43 about the shaft 41 and thereby raise or lower the lower catcher bar 37.

In order to hold the lower catcher bar 37 in its elevated position, a ratchet 48 is concentrically fixed or formed upon the shaft 41, and is operatively engaged by a pawl 49 pivotally supported upon bracket 50 fixed to the standard 21.

If desired, a hole 52 may be formed in the top of the track 23 for receiving the spring-pressed plunger 53 mounted on the upper catcher arm 26, in order to hold the upper catcher bar 27 in its upper elevated position.

Although the cloth spreading machine disclosed in the above Martin US. Pat. No. 3,400,927 is designed to automatically elevate the cloth spreader mechanism 11 by an amount corresponding to the increased height of the stack 16, nevertheless most machines are provided with elevator mechanisms which lift the spreader mechanism by a uniform amount for each traverse of the machine. In other words, the elevation of the spreader mechanism is a function of the number of layers spread, rather than the thickness or height of the cloth stack. It is for such machines in which the spreader mechanism elevation is a function of the number of layers, that this catcher mechanism 20 is most advantageous.

In the operation of the invention, the cloth spreading machine is loaded with a roll of quilting-type material, not shown, from which is fed a sheet of the material 15 through the spreader mechanism 11. As the machine 10 is moved longitudinally of the table 13, by any convenient manual or motorized means, away from the catcher mechanism 20, the material 15 is spread into layers 16.

Assuming that a few layers have been spread so that the stack 16 has the height approximately shown in FIG. 4, the upper catcher bar 27 is resting on top of the folded ends of the stack of cloth layers 16, while the lower catcher bar 37 is resting upon the cutting table .13, but below the stack 16. Even as disclosed in FIG. 4, the non-quilting sheet material in the stack 16 has begun to be crushed by the weight of the upper catcher bar 27 so that the thickness of the stacked folded ends between the upper catcher bar 27 and the lower catcher bar 37 is less than the remaining portion of the stack 16 which supports no weight. In FIG. 4, the thickness of the lower catcher bar 37 is taking up slack created by the crushing of the folded material.

However, as the stack 16 increases, the upper catcher bar 27 will sink below the normal top level of the main portion of the stacked material 16. As the upper catcher bar 27 continues to sink, the spreader mechanism 11 is continuing to rise at a uniform rate. When the spreader mechanism 11 rises so high above the catcher bar 27, that there is no cooperation between the cam follower 29 and the cam 28, then the upper catcher bar 27 ceases to function to receive any more folded ends of sheet material 15.

In order to prevent the upper catcher bar 27 from be- Y coming inoperative, as described above, the operator grasps the hand grip 46 and rotates the shaft 41 in a direction to wind up the cable 43. When the lower catcher bar 37 has been lifted to a position in which the compressed folded ends of the quilting material stack 16 have been raised to elevate upper catcher bar 27 into a position in which it will continue to cooperate with the spreader mechanism 11, then the operator may release the hand grip 46. When the lower catcher bar 37 reaches its elevated position, the pawl 49 immediately cooperates with the ratchet 48 to lock the lower catcher bar 37 in the raised position, as disclosed in FIG. 3.

By periodically winding the windlass 40 and elevating the lower catcher bar 37, the upper catcher bar 27 will always be in a position to cooperate with the spreader mechanism 11, even though the upper catcher bar 27 tends to crush the folded ends of the stacked quilting material 16.

After a stack of cloth 16 has been laid to a level in which the spring-pressed pin 53 engages the recess 52, the spreading operation is halted. The pawl 49 is pivoted to release the ratchet 48 and the hand grip 46 is held, to slowly lower the lower catcher bar 37 until it again rests upon the table 13. Spring-pressed pin 53 is pulled away from the recess 52 and the upper catcher bar 27 is also lowered until it rests upon the lower catcher bar 37, preparatory to the next spreading cycle.

What is claimed is:

1. A catcher mechanism for the spreading of quilting material comprising:

a. a table for receiving spread quilting material,

b. a standard adapted to be mounted upon said table,

c. an upper catcher bar,

(1. means supporting said upper catcher bar on said standard for vertical reciprocal movement, and adapted to lay on top of the spread layers of quilting material,

e. operative means on said upper catcher bar for cooperating with a cloth spreading machine moving on said table toward and away from said standard to incrementally raise said upper catcher bar to receive a new folded layer of quilting material beneath said upper catcher bar,

f. a lower catcher bar,

g. means supporting said lower catcher bar on said standard below said upper catcher for vertical reciprocal movement, and adapted to be positioned below said layers of quilting material, and

h. means on said standard operatively connected to said lower catcher bar for vertically moving said lower catcher bar.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which said means for vertically moving said lower catcher bar comprises a windlass having a shaft rotatably journaled in said standard and a flexible linear member operatively connecting said shaft to said lower catcher bar.

3. The invention according to claim 2 further comprising a ratchet fixed to said shaft, and a pawl pivotally mounted on said standard to normally engage said ratchet to hold said lower catcher bar in an elevated position above said table and below said upper catcher bar.

4. The invention according to claim 2 in which said windlass comprises handle means fixed to said shaft to rotate said shaft.

i i it I 

1. A catcher mechanism for the spreading of quilting material comprising: a. a table for receiving spread quilting material, b. a standard adapted to be mounted upon said table, c. an upper catcher bar, d. means supporting said upper catcher bar on said standard for vertical reciprocal movement, and adapted to lay on top of the spread layers of quilting material, e. operative means on said upper catcher bar for cooperating with a cloth spreading machine moving on said table toward and away from said standard to incrementally raise said upper catcher bar to receive a new folded layer of quilting material beneath said upper catcher bar, f. a lower catcher bar, g. means supporting said lower catcher bar on said standard below said upper catcher for vertical reciprocal movement, and adapted to be positioned below said layers of quilting material, and h. means on said standard operatively connected to said lower catcher bar for vertically moving said lower catcher bar.
 2. The invention according to claim 1 in which said means for vertically moving said lower catcher bar comprises a windlass having a shaft rotatably journaled in said standard and a flexible linear member operatively connecting said shaft to said lower catcher bar.
 3. The invention according to claim 2 further comprising a ratchet fixed to said shaft, and a pawl pivotally mounted on said standard to normally engage said ratchet to hold said lower catcher bar in an elevated position above said table and below said upper catcher bar.
 4. The invention according to claim 2 in which said windlass comprises handle means fixed to said shaft to rotate said shaft. 